The Ambassadors of London

I learned before departing that the painting we examined in class, “The Ambassadors” , is housed in the National Gallery in London. So, eager to beat the crowds I ventured forth to Trafalgar Square and simply strolled into the museum. My first reaction was “wow, this place is massive, I’m never going to find this painting… and OH MY GOODNESS IT’S FREE!!” No, really, you don’t pay for museum entrance in London. This is such a strange concept to those of us (me) who have had to pay $15++ to get into a not so magnificent museum (the ROM) and over $30 to see special exhibits. This initial experience with the National Gallery made me think about our discussions on politicizing art. If the argument is that art is not made accessible to the general public, then how can we justify it in London? It is not secluded or hidden, the art is there and any soul can wander in and see! And that is exactly what I did…

A quick look at the map and The Ambassadors is easily found. Granted it is hard to miss, being the size of a wall and all. The painting in person is truly magnificent. When you actually walk from one side to the other and see it transform, it is a completely different experience from what we’ve seen on a screen. I stood around for a bit and observed the other visitors admiring. There was a group of Italian tourists with a guide telling them what to look for. Even though I didn’t understand exactly what they were saying, it was obvious in their expression when they all saw the blotch transform into a skull before them—both shocked and fascinated.

A second group of came around and I scribbled down a short transcript of their conversation. A woman with her two young daughters, perhaps six or seven, was explaining to them what was at the bottom of the painting. She told them to look at it from the front and the side. From the front she asked them what they saw. Their replies; a sword? a skateboard? She brings them over to the side and asks “now what do you see?” Again they reply, “Is it a fish? Or an elephant?” The girls just weren’t seeing what the adults were seeing. The mother had finally pointed out the jaw and the eye sockets when the girls realized what they were looking at. “A skeleton!!” And with that, a mere shrug of the shoulders. Needless to say, I was amused. These girls did not seem dim or silly, just innocent. I think we take for granted the way children really perceive the real vs. reality. I don’t think that at their age, these children really understand the idea of death. An image of a skull, appearing only from a certain view is beyond their own reality… it does not mean anything to them. I think we make it what it is and whether or not it is the real infringing upon reality; to some it might just look like an elephant.